Governor Timothy M. Kaine announced today that, at his direction, the Virginia Department of Education has initiated a study to analyze disproportionately low representation of minority students in gifted education.

Areas of the Southeast, Appalachia and some tribal lands in the West and Northern Plains have the highest U.S. rates of obesity and diabetes, officials say.

The Interior Department said Wednesday it will more closely monitor and review state-approved permits for mountaintop coal mining and also tighten the federal permitting process to better protect streams from mining waste.

We often hear that we who live in Johnson County and the surrounding area live in an area that is a part of the Appalachian Mountains.

Bluesman and Folksinger DOUGLAS DAY a ' Douglas Day is a folksinger and finger-style guitarist with a Ph.

"A is for Appalachia! The Alphabet Book of Appalachian Heritage" by Linda Hager Pack, illustrated by Pat Banks, 2009, the University Press of Kentucky, $16.95, hardbound, 44 pages: Long-time educator Linda Hager Pack, who teaches children's literature at Eastern Kentucky University, was born and raised in Hamlin, W.Va. She wrote this book with an ...

WHITESVILLE, W.VA.a 'The plan was painfully simple: save a mountain, turn a country, cool the Earth.

This mountain in southern West Virginia, right in the middle of Appalachia's spine, is fast becoming someone's Waterloo.

Editor's Note: Author Ann Pancake grew up in the heart of West Virginia coal country.

LEXINGTON, Ky. Legendary singer/songwriter Alice Gerrard will join well-known old-time duo Carl Jones and Beverly Smith for the next concert presented as part of "Appalachia in the Bluegrass." The free public concert is scheduled for noon Friday, Nov.

Glade Spring's economy has been in a downward spiral for some time now, but a unique venture hopes to help prop it up.

Things for Blue Dog Democrats to take to heart about thedefeat of Craig Deeds in Virginia: Still, Deeds' Appalachian drubbing shows that even if Democrats take a nuanced approach to some of these pieces of legislation, like Boucher did with climate change legislation and Ross and many other Blue Dogs have with health care, they could still be ...

Barbara Kingsolver is an author, a poet and the creator of the Bellwether Prize for "literature of social change." Annie Griffiths Belt Barbara Kingsolver is an author, a poet and the creator of the Bellwether Prize for "literature of social change." The Lacuna: A Novel By Barbara Kingsolver Hardcover, 528 pages Harper Collins List price: $26.99 ...

The Obama administration says reversing a last-minute Bush-era surface mining regulation criticized as too friendly to coal companies is going to take at least another year.

Rob Amberg, the award-winning photographer and author of "Sodom Laurel Album," unveils his new book, "The New Road: I-26 and the Footprints of Progress in Appalachia," along with an exhibit of his work 6-9 p.m. Saturday at the Madison County Arts Center, 56 N. Main St.